Cozumel & Puerta Mayal-Something New Every Time You Go

Puerta Maya-Cozumel Mexico

Puerta Maya is the newest pier built off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.  It opened in October of 2008.  The original pier was destroyed by Hurrican Wilma in 2005.  This quaint area 5 miles south of the main town of San Miguel, is a wonderful experience for both first time cruisers and veterans as well as landlubbers touring Cozumel.  It has many eateries and shops. One of the best kept secrets is a place called Pancho's Backyard.  It is both a place to find wonderful treasures of Mexico as well as some of the best food and Margaritas Cozumel has to offer.  The shelves are lined with beautiful handmade jewelry, gifts, pottery and anything your "souvenier loving" heart could desire.  Once you have purchased your goodies or just need to take a break from all the shopping, head on into the restaurant for dining on the indoor & outdoor patio.  The breezes blow thru and cool you naturally and the Gulf of Mexico and beyond lays out before you in picturesque style.

Mayan Ruins at the Courtyard

  I would recommend, if you are of age to drink of course, one of their many flavors of margaritas.  Just be warned, be sure you plan to walk back to your ship or hotel because they do have some zip to them.  The flavors are unusual such as peach, mango, watermelon & huckleberry.  Trust me when I say you cannot go wrong with any of them as well as the usual flavors of strawberry and original (lime). You may want to ask your waiter or waitress to "un poquito" small amount of alcohol because even then these drinks have a kick.  Be sure to try their nachos of all kinds, depending on what you like for the meat.  There is also some wonderful dessert plates that have some mexico flair to them as well as some American taste as in the key lime pie. 

Courtyard Area Near Pancho's Backyard


  Besides shopping and dining, you will also be able to catch your shore excursions here as you enter the area. If you love diving, Cozumel is the place to go. Playa Casitas, is an artificial reef built with over 56,000 tons of concrete that the hurricane destroyed.  Oceanologists say that fish are migrating to the reef and even coral has been seen there. Cozumel, with help from Carnival Corp help build this pier after the 2005 destruction of Hurrican Wilma.

Whatever your choice to do while in this beautiful area of Mexico, Puerta Maya is certainly something that should not be missed.

Till next time...Bon Voyage!

 

Joyce



 

Waiter at Pancho's Backyard



Carnival Destiny Cruise Ship, Carnival Cruise Lines Review



Carnival Destiny In Port at Key West

 The Carnival Destiny,which currently home ports in Miami, FL, is one of Carnival Cruise Lines ships.  It is 101,000 ton ship and the only Destiny class ship in Carnival's fleet. She can carry over 3300 passengers and at the time she entered service in 1996, she was the largest ship ever built. Like the many of her sister ships in Carnival's line, it boast Carnival's Theatre Under The Stars for watching the "big screen" out on deck.  It has almost 500 balcony cabins so that many of her visitors can enjoy the view from their rooms.


Balcony Cabin on Carnival Destiny



I was lucky enough to sail on her last October with a wonderful group of ladies.  We all had balcony cabins and the consensus was "fabulous".  The Destiny's staff took wonderful care of us from the cabin to the dining room and many places in between.  One of the in between places is the wonderful pool areas that the Destiny has.  In the main pool area it is theatre style raised seating so that you have views of all kinds at the pool and then again in the evening when watching the movies out on deck.  The 2 story dining room was magnificent and our dining staff was just wonderful and very attentive.  By the 2nd night of our 4 day cruise, our staff knew what type of drink we wanted and which type of bread we would choose. The meals were fantastic and always presented in such a wonderful way by the staff.

Divine Desserts

From Casino to Spa to shopping and many dining options, the Carnival Destiny is still a wonderful ship at 15 years old this year.  She was refurbished in 2005 and is a sparkling gem in the Carnival fleet.  Over all I would recommend this ship for families, honeymooners or just vacationers in general.  Her layout is a bit different than all the other ships in Carnival line.  She has more areas of walking stairs and going around and up and down to get to different areas of the ship.  If you have difficulty in traversing stairs, the Destiny may be a bit tougher sail for you.  However, there are elevators everywhere on the ship and wonderfully helpful Carnival employees to guide you around, should you need it.  Besides, as my friend and i found out, getting lost and found again on this ship is part of the fun.  We have decided that what we didn't find this time, will make us just have to go back again on the Destiny.

The Carnival Destiny Sails 4 & 5 day  Eastern & Western alternating sailings out of Miami thru April 2012.
Some of the ports you will see on the 5 day Western one are Cozumel, Grand Cayman & Jamaica and on the 5 day Eastern would Grand Turks, Half Moon Cay & Nassau in the Bahamas. The ports on the 4 day sailings are Key West & Cozumel. 



Carnival goodies in the cabin nightly.

Prices start at $259 per person plus port taxes & fees for the 4 day sailings.

Prices start at $299 per person plus port taxes & fees for the 5 day sailings.

Joyce Sisler

Cruise Specialist

Email:jjtravelservice@hot.rr.com

Leaving the Port of Miami







Travel Trends for Cruising In 2011 and Beyond

As a travel agent who specializes in cruises, I follow the news and trends in this niche closely. First cruising in 2011 is expected to be up as much as 10% from last year now that the economy is coming back.  There are at least 11 new ships coming out this year and several more slated for early 2012.  With new ships comes new itineraries and shore excursions.  It is no longer just a cruise to somewhere, now a days the ships themselves are destinations unto themselves.  Royal Caribbean, for example, has the 2 largest ships afloat in Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  These ships each carry 5400 passengers plus crew.  I recently toured Oasis of the Seas down in Ft Lauderdale and the amenities and options were incredible.  They have 7 different neighborhoods and while it sounds like a lot of people and area, it was not crowded at all.  I believe you could stay on these 2 ships all 7 days and still not see everything it has to offer. While the Disney Dream & the Norwegian Epic are not as big as Royal Caribbean's two ships, they both are large for each of their companies.  The Dream is Disney's first ship in over a decade and she is a beauty at 130,000 ton ship. She was christened today at Port Canaveral by Ms Jennifer Hudson, singer and actress. The Dream is offering the AQUADUCK, which is the industries first water coaster at sea. The Dream will appeal to young and old alike with the magic and charm that only Disney can provide. It has adult only lounges and areas on the ship that are quiet and relaxing to adults but the children's program is one the best in the industry.


The Epic is a one of a kind for NCL. Not only due to its size at 155,000 tons, but it is also one of the first to offer solo travelers studio cabins to be able to travel alone and not have to pay double for a single person. They also have the Blue Man Group on board for nightly performances.

Ft Lauderdale, FL-Oasis of the Seas

I believe the prices, which have been very low during 2009 & 2010 will start to come up as demand increases.  It is not out of the ordinary to need to book at least a year out if you are looking to put together a large group.  If you have a small group of friends or family wanting to travel together 9-12 months out is a reasonable time to hold reservation.  Did you know that as few as 8 cabins makes up a group by cruise lines definitions?  You can still hold those 8 cabins and if after everyone is booked, you only use 6 cabins, the other 2 can be dropped and your group still keeps the group rate.  The group rate is lower than the per cabin rate if you are booking them one cabin at a time.  On some cruise lines, if you maintain at least 5 cabins out of the 8, you are still eligible for group amenities of which you can choose or leave it to the travel agent to choose.  It ranges from robes and champagne to simple things like chocolates or a bottle of cider.


Whatever your cruise experience in the past has been from never have cruised to a few cruise or like myself 17 and getting ready for 18 & 19 this year, the cruise industry has a cruise for you. Eco friendly to Adventure, exotic to relaxing try one out this year, it is an experience that you will be ready to do again and again.
Until the next time...Bon Voyage!
Joyce

Expect the Unexpected When Traveling

I have noticed as the cold, snowy and wet winter has its grip on most of the USA, that clients are beginning to contact us for warm, tropical getaways.  In March of 2007, Jim and I took the kids to Hawaii for spring break.  It was to be our family trip for the year because he was deploying in early May and we wanted to spend some time just the 4 of us.  It was still quite chilly and rainy back here in Texas so all 4 of us couldnt wait to get the warmth we knew would be waiting for us on Oahu, Hawaii.  We couldnt wait to get to the beach the first day.  It was warm and inviting.  We spent the morning and a bit of the afternoon there and then decided to do our favorite drive around the island.  We stopped at several of the pull outs on the way and noticed heavier clouds moving in over the mountains but tropical showers were always happening in Hawaii.  We finished up our drive with a stop up on the scenic overlook of Honolulu as you come out of the mountain pass and tunnel.  It had really begun to cloud over but agian nothing new in the tropics.  We all got out and were met by very chilly winds that were about 40 mph blowing and swirling around us.  As you can guess we were in shorts, tank tops & flip flops.  We had planned to take a great family picture at the overlook for our Christmas picture that year.  Needless to say, it took about 2 minutes for us to snap some quick shots and jump back into the car and crank the heat.  By the time we got back down into Honolulu, the sun had reappeared and we were again ready to go back to the beach. It did rain on us a few more times and we have decided that maybe spring break isn't our favorite time to go to Hawaii due to the changing weather.

It is always good to be prepared when traveling for all kinds of weather.  While the tropics are just that, it shows that there can be rare chilly weather that can move through unexpectedly.  Always pack at least some sort of light or rainproof jacket and of course closed shoes, such as tennis shoes. Depending on time of year an umbrella may be necessary but can be cumbersome in the luggage.  I recommend just a good waterproof jacket.
Our family plans to go back to Hawaii again.  Nothing really will keep us away from the beautiful land that is our 50th State.  I think we will stay more to May & June time frame.  We haven't had rain or those chilly winds at that time of year.  Our son Austin however is pushing for us all to go at Christmas time.  He loves the song by Bing Crosby Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian) and wants to be able to stand and sing it on Christmas Day on the beach at Waikiki.  We are game, this time though we will be ready with maybe just a bit more than the light jacket to go with our bathing suits!
Till next time...Bon Voyage!
Joyce

American Airline's Newest Choice Wont Leave Any For Consumers

American Airlines this week decided to go with the Direct Connect option from their website to sell to consumers.  This does not leave consumers a lot of choices because both Orbitz and Expedia have pulled them from their websites.  American's website does not show all the auxiliary fees that come along with buying tickets. Along with the big online travel agencies this week Sabre, one of the largest GDS (global distribution systems) has also taken a stand against American and dropped their fares way down in the search process.  Courts have agreed with American's appeal and have stopped Sabre from doing that.  Not only will consumers now spend more time searching, so will Travel Agents. It will force them to spend more time searching to find the best fare for their clients.
Today American has agreed to use a company, ITA to distribute its technology. With this new announcement it is yet unknown if this will help the consumer or if it will just become another Mega Online Travel Agency. Let's hope this will indeed be a good move for consumers and their travel agents.
Please see this great article by a fellow travel agent.

American Airlines Direct Connect Proposal will cost the consumer :By The Travelersadvocate

Till next time...Bon Voyage!
Joyce

Cruising Aussie Style-Carnival is "Going Down Under"!

Carnival Cruise Lines announced today in the trades, email and on their website that in October of 2012, the Carnival Spirit will be moving over to Australia to home port in Sydney year round. The Carnival Spirit, which joined Carnival's fleet in May 2001 will be sailing 8-12 day itineraries to the Pacific Islands and some 13 day voyages to New Zealand.

I think this is a wonderful opportunity to have the Carnival name represented in Australia.  It is also a great way to see some of the Pacific Islands and a lot of New Zealand.  You will only have to unpack one time but see many wonderful and exotic places.  After a very long 18 hour flight to Sydney from LA or 21 hour flight from NYC and the east coast, what better way is there to be taken to a beautiful ship that will let you relax for the next 2 weeks?  I can't think of a better way to see the scenery and acclimatize to being on a whole different day from the USA of time zones.

I think this is a wonderful opportunity to have the Carnival name represented in Australia. The Australians are a warm and welcoming people and the Carnival brand name is the same to people everywhere.  The Carnival Spirit is an absolutely beautiful ship and also a great way to see some of the Pacific Islands and a lot of New Zealand.
Kudos Carnival for your great work in bringing the Spirit to the Outback!
Until the next time...Bon Voyage!
Joyce

J & J Travel Service's Niche

People always ask why did you become Master Cruise Counsellor and I tell them because I have been on 16 cruises and I was hooked after cruise #1 in 1993.  I have done 2 on Royal Caribbean, 1 on Holland America, 1 on NCL and the remaining 12 have been on Carnival. 

The best things about cruising are price, inclusiveness and unpacking only once but seeing several different countries.  The price you pay for a cruise includes everything but bar drinks/sodas and your shore excursions in port.  Compared to a land based vacation the cruise is usually always a better deal for the money. You have so many varieties of food to choose from you can never go hungry on a ship.  If you choose to have a cocktail or soda it is all put on your on board account so you never have to worry about having cash with you.  They even have these wonderful things called "COKE CARDS" and you pay one price of $20-$25, each cruise line varies and all your soda for the cruise is paid for so you can drink as much as you want. The very best thing about a cruise is that you unpack one time and your floating hotel does all the traveling around.  You just get to enjoy all the islands, locks, fjords, mountains and scenery right from the ship.  No having to pack and unpack each time you want to go to a new place.
I am about to take cruise #17 on Carnival this summer with my kids and husband and #18 most likely this fall when I take my yearly ladies group in October. I cant keep each group from wanting to go on a yearly basis, some more than once a year.  They all know what a wonderful time, great value and how easy it is to cruise and come back year after year for more.
Until next time...Bon Voyage!

  
Joyce

J & J Travel Blogging-It Begins.....

I wasn't sure how I would go about this task of blogging.  I have wanted to get my business on the social media scene for awhile now but was just too confused to sit down and work it out.  I finally took the time, some classes and of course, bought the "Dummies" books and as they say, here I am!  I hope I will improve over time so that I can bring some helpful hints or points to the travelers who love traveling as much as I do. 
I have loved travel from a very young age.  People ask how I got started in this business and I tell them that my Dad would let me plot out and plan with him the yearly family vacations.  I would help him pick out hotels to stay at along the way and as I got older, he would let me call ahead and make reservations.  He would also let me see what sights we were going to see and I would get to watch him draw on the USA map our route.  I remember the year EXXON sent him a "fancy" map that had our whole trip plotted out and hotel suggestions. 
I feel 2011 will be a stronger year for many to start traveling again.  Hopefully some of the fun things I will post here and on my Facebook page (J J Travel Service LLC) will help some choose new and exciting vacations to take.   I also hope that my blogging will improve and by the time 2012 rolls around this will be just another simple thing in my day to do.  For now I sure wish Exxon had that "fancy map" for me that plotted out blogging for 2011.  Till next time...Bon Voyage!